"The Night Watchman" is a character piece. The theme of the night watch or night patrol was a favored subject in salon piano pieces of this generation, with examples found in works by Prudent (Op. 12), Lefébure-Wély (Op. 95), and W. Krüger (Op. 74). Given that both the title and key are identical to Prudent's work, it is likely that it served as a model for Grégoire's piece. Nevertheless, the difference in the image and situation conveyed by the piece is as distinct as indoors versus outdoors; Grégoire's work, representing the latter, is more humorous. As symbolized by works from the same period, such as "Three Legends," Grégoire's late compositions, while appearing to feature recurring phrases, subtly differ in harmony and and figuration, making memorization more challenging than it seems. Such delicate considerations often lead performers to avoid these pieces, which is one reason why the works have not remained in the repertoire. (May 21, 2019)